So...whats for dinner?

deborye

apple

the fettucini alfredo was pretty awesome.  I have to remember to never criticize and praise the kiddos for their efforts.  I secretly added more milk later cause there was soooooooo much parmesan cheese.  i love my son # 2.. we are peas of the same pod.   He is really interested in cooking these days and i love it.  cooking lessons every nite. 

we have a rule - if you cook then you don't have to clean up. so it all works out since there are always at least 2 kids home.

SeasideMemories

Debbie,

You know what... that's probably what it was... When my kids were young I worked outside the home and dinnertime was just rush home and get something on the table before anyone had a meltdown... I think that just became the routine so even when they were older we stuck to that routine... Sure hope I'm not too late!!! 

SeasideMemories

Deborye,

Some days... I think that's what my KITCHEN may need...lol!!!

deborye

Doesn't this look yummy?

deborye

Apple-Orange Salad
Citrus fruits are at their best all winter. Make the most of them by serving up this colorful salad as a side dish or dessert.
Get this recipe>> http://ow.ly/97eeu

LuvRVing

Oh yes it does!!!

deborye

Ingredients
4 navel oranges
4 blood oranges
3 tablespoons honey
1 1-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced
1 green apple, thinly sliced
1 red apple, thinly sliced
Directions
Cut the ends off the navel and blood oranges, then cut away the peel and white pith. Working over a bowl, cut along both sides of each membrane with a paring knife to remove the segments, allowing them to drop into the bowl. Discard any seeds. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into a small bowl (you should have about 1 cup of juice).

Bring the reserved orange juice, honey and ginger to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely; discard the ginger. Toss the syrup with the oranges and apples.

apple

i love grapefruit.. yum

SeasideMemories

Apple,

I have to get that same 'He/she who cooks does not clean up' but.... please be kind... message across... While I am happy that my kids have each learned to cook a couple of things.. the mess they leave behind... OMG.... Guess it's all part of the learning experience..lol!

Kay_G

Apple, your kids do rock!  That is wonderful that they can and do cook.  I'm glad you're feeling better from chemo, hope it does its job great.  What chemo are you on?  It sounds like you have an appetite, glad to hear that.  Let us know how you're doing.

Laurie, it said to cook at 400 for 25 minutes, but I left it in much longer, so maybe you should check on it, but not be surprised if it takes much longer.  I did say half cup flour and half teaspoon baking powder, didn't I?  I've really never had quiche before, but I do like eggs and omelettes, and that was pretty similar, and I did like it.

Seaside, really glad you liked the chicken marabella!  Thanks for telling me.  I can relate to the working and running home and making a quick dinner.  And it just gets even worse as they get older and have activities they have to run to.  I think we'd all benefit by slowing down a bit.

Carol, I envy your bread making abilities too.  I wish I had the courage to try it.  I do have a kitchen aid.  Maybe this weekend.  I'm sure everyone would really love some homemade bread in my house.  Your chicken parm sounds good too Michelle.  And I love everything bagels, so I'm sure I'd love it that way.  And I do have a bunch of mozza to use up.  Made a couple of pizzas today on some store bought crusts.  It was pretty good.  I think take out or homemade would be better, maybe I will get the courage up for that soon too.  My DH and DS liked the pizza, but said a little too much cheese.  LOL, I guess there was a reason for that.  DD thought it was the perfect amount of cheese though.  I see some more in our future.

Deborey, you do crack me up!  LOL

Bedo, full time jobs do seem to take up all our time.  Doesn't seem fair.  I am also impressed that you play the violin.  I took guitar lessons for two years, but never could play at all.  I guess you either have it or you don't.

Have a great evening everyone.

carolehalston

Tonight's dinner was baked halibut, steamed asparagus and garden salad. 

bedo

Apple I hope that your chemo goes well and am so glad that you have an appetite.  Those recipes sound yummy

Doborye that salad looks great too, I will have to pack that for lunch

Carole, that sounds great.  Everybody I know is eating asparagus now and raving about it.

Joycek maybe we should start a group!  My sis did play violin with the Boston Pops. I stink. I took a different path. I only play at local festivals and No More Classical,  I only do it for fun

I am still hoping for a northeast get together when things work out for all of us.

I am going to try to make a butternut squash with apple  juice and mushroom soup.  We'll see how That goes.

PS, Deborye, will the apples turn brown if I pack them for lunch?

debbie6122

Deb- That salad looks delicious. will be on my favorite salad recipes for sure!

Bedo- Deb may have another idea for your apples,. but i think with all the juices,(oj) they should be ok, or you could put a little lemon juice on them too.

Seaside- I agree need that vodka dispenser on our kitchen LOL!

Carol- Your dinner sounds very good and healthy. I made Kale chips tonight and surpizinly my DH loved them.

Kay- My husband ordered the guitar buddy, we got it in the mail a couple days ago, i cant wait to use it so i can learn to play the guitar even if it is kind of cheating LOL!

chabba

I have always loved baking.  I started helping Mom long before I started school and by the time I was seven I was baking on my own.  Cookies at first and moving on to more complex items as fast as I could.  I was married before I ever used any store bought mixes.  Started baking bread in the fifth grade.  I remember when Mom turned all the routine baking over to me.  It was when I was in the sixth grade, just after my Uncle's regular Christmas visit.  The day he was due to arrive I made his favorite pie, a lemon meringue.  When he tasted it he told Mom that she had always made the best pies he had ever eaten and that one was her best yet. 

I've always loved baking but especially enjoy making bread.  If I could find a recipe for it I learned to make it--from traditional, loaves and rolls to specialties like croissants and Julekaka to flat breads like pitta, tortillas and lefse. I don't think I ever bought bread until about 15 years ago when my DH asked me to stop baking.  He was a slim 165 when we married.  By then he was up to over 285--he would never admit just how much he really weighed and he just could not leave the baked goods alone.

debbie6122

Hi Chabba, havnt seen you for awhile! Wow, you had your hands full at such a young age, but sounds like you enjoyed baking! To be able to make all those things from scratch must of been a real treat and so much more heathier without all the preservatives they put in food now.

LuvRVing

Bedo - with all the citrus in that salad, I would think the apples would stay nice and white. 

Chabba - I cooked a lot as a young kid and could pull off a complete meal by the time I was about 12.  My mom worked so I had kitchen duty plus babysat my 3 younger siblings.  I also did some baking although I usually used a mix for cakes.  I had my own cookbook  -  Teena in the Kitchen

 There was a recipe for a "from scratch" cake with fresh orange and lemon that I remember being really good.  I remember that for my 16th birthday I told my family I wanted someone else to bake my birthday cake...lol.  So they got a bakery cake!

LuvRVing

Joyce - you sat in the sun yesterday?  Now that is progress!!!  I am proud of you

bedo

OMG!!!!! MIchelle!  Is this you?? I googled it because I was so impressed.  I hope you don't mind!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fh3YHbIKW4

LuvRVing

LOL...OK, I didn't mean it was "my" cookbook, just a cookbook that I got by sending that red label to Imperial Sugar!  I remember that ad!!!  But I looked a lot like Teena back then:

I'm the one on the right...so I wasn't blonde like Teena!  By the way, this picture was 8th grade, I think.  I came in second in the city (Dallas) in the National Spelling Bee contest. 

apple

man you look the same!  wow

about bread?/ it's so easy.. just take 2 cups of warm water, put in 2 packets of yeast (or 2 tblspoons) and let it sit and dissolve .. add a bit of salt and a bit of sugar.  add 2 cups flour and stir . then another 2 cups and more so you can't stir and it must be folded.  sprinkle flour on your counter, table whatever and start needing..  kind of folding and pushing in 1/2s and 1/3s.. check on you tube for techniques.. keep kneeding till the dough is dry and not sticky. the dough should be firm and springy.  

let sit and rise.. punch down.. divide in two and form into long loaves (like french bread).. slice diagonals in top and place on cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. let rise an hour or two and then bake.  350 is fine.. any temp will do (under 425). you can brush the tops with butter.. yum (after baking)

.. after you make it a few times, you'll get a feel.. I can spend a total of 20 minutes and come out with 4 great loaves.. doubling that recipe. you can let the dough rest for 10 minutes or so occasionlly while kneading and it kind of kneads itself.    i do all sorts of variations.. added milk and butter for farm bread (softer and delish), i use different flours, add ground nuts and bran.. you just have to experiment.  it if is sticky add more flour.. If you have accidentally added too much flour (just do it gradually by kneading) use oil to knead the bread.

this is more yeast than you really need but it tastes good and is pretty fool proof.. you can always just follow a recipe.. there are professional ways to roll out a dough, roll it up that makes it look perfect, but an imperfect looking loaf still tastes wonderful.

good luck.

chabba

All this talk of baking brought back a memory of something I haven't thought of in at least 30 - 40 years.  Mom had a friend who was a very popular and successful caterer.  When I was in high school she used to hire me to make desserts for some of her jobs.  It wasn't until I started thinking about her just now that I realized that I learned so many of the skills I use all the time cooking for large groups at the Senior Center from her. 

LuvRVing

I subscribe to this online magazine - it's free and there are some really good, inexpensive recipes.  You can "Like" it on Facebook.

http://www.relish.com/

Today there were some good chicken thigh recipes - an inexpensive chicken part with lots of flavor.

Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs: Season skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet. Add chicken skin side down to skillet, sprinkle rosemary over top and cook over medium heat, turning at least once, until skin is crispy, golden and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reaches 165F. Top each thigh with a tablespoon of apricot preserves and a little feta cheese; cover and let sit for 2-5 minutes before serving.

Goat cheese would be good in this dish, too.

Moonflwr912

Hi all!  I started cooking when I was in Grade school too.  By eighth grade I was cooking at least 4 times a week for my family of 10.  My mom was an alcholic and my dad worked early shift.  So I would come home from school and make regular dinners, like mashed potatos, and meatloaf and carrots, or baked chicken and noodles, etc. 

But, that was over 40 years ago!  and  I am in chemo now and not doing quite so much cooking!  LOl - one of my favorite things to cook though is slice potatos about a half inch thick and toss them in the foreman grill.  no need to oil or anything bake then there for 20 min.  they don'ty even need salt when you take them out they are golden and soft inside.  yum.  I do sweet potato there too.  

Momine

Apple, that is how `i make bread too, just with a little less yeast and ~I skip the sugar. My brother has a trick where he doesn't even knead the dough. He just beats in as much flour as possible with a wooden spoon, then he raises the dough in the fridge overnight, dumps it, like a batter almost, into a large tin of some sort with wome olive oil and bakes it.

debbie6122

Michelle- That is the cutest picture ever!!!

Hi Moonflw- Glad you joined us, we are a fun group here! I remember when i had lung surgery we had to move into a hotel for a whole year (long story) and i used the George foremen Grill and microwave for cooking everynight, i came up with some great recipes using just those two things, i even thought about writing a cookbook about living in a hotel. The GFG does come in handy!

Joyce- LOL! I will do the singing while you all play (NOT!) 

apple

you know.. i really wish they wouldn't call pieces of chicken breasts and thighs.. it makes them sound kind of human   i have no better suggestions.. tops and bottoms? maybe?

bedo

Michelle, LOL!  I am so gullible!  I always take things literally.  Anyway I still have trouble spelling and can't bake, only cook. You still look the same, dimples and all.  So cute.  At 12 I was crazy about animals.  We had about 20 between cats, dogs, rabbits, parakeets, mice, hampsters, turtles and fish.  I don't think our Mom had a clue.  We lived on 4 acres and had them stashed everywhere!

For dinner.  ewww, I ate cookies at the office.  (

Debbie, come sing with us!  I'm sorry I can't keep up with all the posts!  Just listened to a friend complain about her work for 45 minutes and my head is swimming.

Definitely have the fruit salad on the horizon this week.

Have a great weekend, ladies! xo

Hi Moonflwr!  I'm glad you joined us!  You really had your hands full.  I hope you are enjoying cooking 'just to please yourself'"instead of over 10 people.  My Mom used to say, " If you don't like what's for dinner, there will be another one coming along tomorrow night"  I think someone else's Mom here said that too. Those potatoes sound good!

Hauntie

Thanks for the well wishes. I had my arhroscopic surgery on Tuesday. The surgeon released some adhesions and removed scar tissue. I've been mostly sleeping since then. I'm hoping this does the trick. The pain is minimal compared to the knee replacement. I ventured out for the first time this evening to have dinner with my cousin at the local 99.

Lynda

Laurie08

Hauntie- So glad you are doing well, taking time to rest and treat yourself to dinner out. 

Michelle- Awesome picture!  Thanks so much for sharing with us.  You do look the same and your daughter (from the Facebook pic) looks so much like you. 

It sounds like I am the only one who did not grow up cooking?  My mother was a fantastic cook, but did not encourage help in the kitchen.  In fact I was encouraged to stay away from her pans, if I remember she was afraid I would scratch them or something?  When I was 19 I was a waitress at a small restaurant, that honestly had WONDERFUL food.  One of the chefs called out and the owner asked me to join him in the kitchen and help out.  I told him I had no idea how to cook anything besides grilled cheese or pasta.  Turns out I had a knack for it and loved it.  After that I did half waiting on tables half in the kitchen.  I learned a lot and years later, after many years in restaurants DH- then my boyfriend- and I leased a seasonal restaurant and ran it for two seasons from May-October.  We still say one day it would be nice to own a place of our own.  But the hours are long and back in 2000 we both left the food business and got "real" jobs.  I went into banking and did commercial lending for 9 years- talk about a different world!!!

I love this thread- all of you ladies have so much talent, from music, to diving, cooking, you name it!!  We have a little bit of everything here and I love it.

Oh, home made chicken tenders tonight- DH was running late after having a not very good day so the boys and I spread out a blanket on the floor and watched Blue's Clues while we ate our picnic, so I was "the cool mom" tonight.